Viral Videos

What exactly is a viral video?  Is it something good or something bad?  The word viral could indicate something not so good, kind of like a virus that spreads and causes sickness and disease.  Is this the same type of thing only on the internet?  Doing a little research, I read the definition on Wikipedia, and learned a bit more about what a viral video is.  “A viral video is a video that becomes popular through a viral process of internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email.”

That being said, a viral video is one that is popular; as in over 5 million views in 3-7 days popular!  So—is this good or bad?  I would say it depends on the video content.  If the content is bad, then that could be considered not so good.  And if the content is good, then that could be considered a positive, right?  There have been some incidents where bullying, or cyberbullying has resulted because of videos that have posted and gone viral, causing those in the video extreme grief in their life.  There are also really great videos that have gone viral and have promoted good causes. 

The police are now under constant scrutiny due to viral videos that have shown police brutality, misconduct, shootings, etc.  This can either be a good thing or bad, as previously stated, depending on the content of the video.  Video that is being used in cases sometimes is held and not released for a time due to investigations taking place.  This can cause people to claim there are attempted cover-ups going on.  These types of situations have caused riots in cities where incidents have occurred. 

Political viral videos are in abundance this year and some of our current candidates help to create and feed the content for these videos.  Many viral videos are based on humor, and there seems to be an abundance of it lately.  The web traffic gained by viral videos allows for advertising revenue.  YouTube website is monetized by selling and showing advertising.  If they feel that a video is a viable candidate for advertising, they can contact and offer the original poster a profit-sharing contract.  Some videos have generated over $100,000 or more.   There are video creators who actually make a living posting videos of something they do and can generate enough cash for a decent living. 

I decided to check out some popular viral videos on a website called “Viral Viral Videos”.  They claim to post top viral videos on a daily basis.  I watched a video called “What’s inside an Etch A Sketch” and found this interesting, because as child, I always wondered how that thing worked!  I was fascinated by the dismantling of the Etch A Sketch, as a corner was sawed off, the aluminum powder was dumped out, the screen was smashed and broken, and the inner components were then revealed.  Amazing!  You can view this for yourself at this link:  http://www.viralviralvideos.com/2016/04/11/whats-inside-an-etch-a-sketch/

 Had I never taken time to watch this video, I would still to this day wonder how an Etch A Sketch works.  These toys have been around for over 40 years, and are still popular.  Pretty sweet!  I may have to refer to this site more often just to see what else I can learn about in life.  This is definitely an example of a “good” viral video.  Its informative, doesn’t create or promote anger or violence, and leaves you with a sense of satisfaction. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_video

http://www.viralviralvideos.com/

SeaRch EnGinE OpTimiZaTion

Search engine optimization.  Say that three times fast!  No wonder they call it SEO for short!  So, what is it?  According to the Beginners Guide to SEO, Search engine optimization is used to direct more traffic to one’s website. It is focused on growing visibility in (free) search engine results.  SEO encompasses both the technical and creative aspects required to improve rankings, drive traffic, and increase awareness in search engines.  SEOs have many different components; words on a page, the way other sites link to you on the web, etc.  Sometimes it is simply a matter of making sure your site is structured in a way that search engines understand. 

So what about people and what they understand?  SEO’s are there to ensure that your site is better for people as well. 

Search engines are what most web traffic is driven by.  We are all familiar with the “big dogs”:  Google, Bing, and Yahoo!.  Even though social media and other traffic can visit websites, search engines are what most internet users rely on.  No matter what your site provides, whether it is content, services, products information, etc.  Search engines help people who are looking to find what you offer.  They target traffic.  Search engines are the tools that make this happen.  If they cannot find your site, or add your content to their data bases, traffic doesn’t get sent to your site, which makes you miss out on opportunities.  For more information, you can reference the 10 chapters outlined in “The Beginners Guide to SEO” linked here:  http://d2eeipcrcdle6.cloudfront.net/guides/Moz-The-Beginners-Guide-To-SEO.pdf

 One method of search engine optimization is geotagging.  Google actually ignores this, but Bing and Yahoo! Still use geotagging, so it is beneficial for SEO.  A geotag is “geographical information that is embedded into an object”.  It can be a photo, a website, or an RSS feed.  Geotags are associated with location.  Adding geotags to a web page is simple.  You can use meta tags as well.  Meta tags are more specific and can give latitude and longitude coordinates, altitude, position, region or place names, etc.  

So why would Google ignore these tags?  According to sleeplessmedia.com, because they are mostly incorrect.  Correctness depends on the accuracy of the information that is embedded. 

Geotagging may or may not be for you.  By adding them to a website, search engines find it easier to locate you on the map.  This helps with boosting visibility on local search queries.  If you have a local or regional business, then geotagging will be a beneficial step to take. If your business has a physical location, this can also be a benefit.  National or International companies do not benefit from this as much.  Geotagging is highly recommended for retail or tourism websites. Because geo and meta tags are location based, there could be concerns with privacy issues. However, there are means to protect your privacy as a geotagger.  You should always consider which information you really want to be sharing on the web.  Happy tagging!

https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo

http://www.sleeplessmedia.com/blog/should-i-geotag-my-website-for-better-search-optimization/

Management Platforms and Tools

As someone who didn’t even know what a social media platform was up until a few weeks ago, I find myself unfamiliar with management tools terms such as aggregators, shorteners, analytics, etc., as well as what their purpose is.  I am hoping with this assignment to show how a social media manager can manage their website using some of these tools. 

I decided to look into analytics, because it seems that this is an extremely important tool.  According to Sparring Minds website, “If it’s not worth measuring, it’s not worth doing”.   This is what analytics does; it tracks statistics and interprets data from your website.  It is important to track sales, stock, orders, expenses, and much more.  The most important thing to track with your business is performance. 

Bryan Eisenberg, author and marketing consultant explained it like this:  “Investing in people and the tools that those people need to be successful is key.  But it’s the people who can understand the data that really matter.  You obviously won’t use all of these tools all of the time, but it’s beneficial to know about some of the top options and how they fit into your overall web strategy. And using multiple tools only gives you further levels of insight into your customers and your success rate.”

This means that the tools and people you hire to use them are critical for your business.  Using a single tool or just one source to answer your questions will be the end of your business.  It is important to have several tools in use.  For larger businesses, more robust analytics tools can be very effective.  For smaller or mid-sized companies, there are many free or cheaper options to choose from.

 

So the question comes up:  “What are Analytics Tools?”  They are defined as:

1-      The analysis of qualitative and quantitative data from your website and the competition. 

2-      To drive a continual improvement of the online experience of your customers and prospects

3-      Which translates into your desired outcomes (online and offline)

Analytics measures the traffic, page views, measurable data, customers’ needs and services, etc.  Analytics show how your business is performing.

One of the most popular tools that is currently used by over 50% of the top 10,000 websites in the world is Google Analytics.  It is free, simple and one of the most robust analytics offered.  You can find out where your visitors are coming from, what their activity is on your site, how often they return, among other things.  According to Christopher Penn, of Blue Sky Factory, Google Analytics is really only one tool that small businesses need due to its capability for use.  However, there are several different recommended web analytic tools out there, depending on the needs and wants you have for your business.

http://www.sparringmind.com/best-web-analytics/

http://www.inc.com/guides/12/2010/11-best-web-analytics-tools.html

Organizational Uses -- Religious

Have you ever noticed if your religion uses social media?  And if so, how effective is it?  If you are a member of the Catholic faith who needs to confess your sins, there’s now an app for that.  If you are a member of the Russian Orthodox Church and need to give up something for Lent, how about going without social media?  As social media use changes and evolves, religious organizations are starting to incorporate it to share messages and build community.

Many religious groups are using social media to “brand” their organizations.  It affects all main religions from Catholics to Buddhists, and especially evangelical churches that are often using new social technologies.  Some churches tweet Easter messages or send emailed postcards for upcoming services.

Facebook and Twitter are two of the most popular tools being used, although many media platforms are used to communicate messages to followers. 

Apps are now being used to encourage confession and ease the nervousness of not having to show up in person.  Some apps even allow users to earn religious points, although this may not be endorsed by the church and is not typically reflective of religious teachings. 

Author Pauline Cheong, researched a large Chinese Buddhist organization based in Taiwan.  She found that they use social media in multiple languages, have satellite television in all continents of the world, their own digital radio stations and conduct podcasts.  Their coverage ranges from Asia to the Americas and Africa. 

Religious organizations find that using media tools requires a lot of time and work.  But this can also lead to more members and build a sense of community. 

https://asunow.asu.edu/content/religious-organizations-savvy-use-social-digital-media

I enjoy the social media that is produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It is professionally done and distributes all sorts of information, video, articles, conference messages, music, etc.  When I set up my Twitter account for this class, I was surprised to see that all the General Authorities have Twitter accounts that I can follow if I choose to.  These are old men!  They are in their 70’s, 80’s and 90’s and are actively using Twitter and Facebook, etc.  That seems pretty impressive to me, as I am half their age and struggle with using some platforms.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is very tech-savvy and in touch with modern media technology.  They too, have satellite television in many continents of the world, One of the things I really like about the messages shared are that they are positive, promote good things, and testify of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. 

https://www.facebook.com/LDS/?fref=ts

Case Reflection 2 ---Bobby White Basketball Cop

It started with a dashcam video from a police car, and my initial reaction, when I saw the first video of officer Bobbie White approaching kids playing basketball in the street, was the thought that they were in trouble, as someone had called in a complaint about their noise and probably the fact that they were playing right in the middle of the road.  It didn’t take long to see from watching the video that his approach wasn’t one of condemning, but of making sure things were ok and letting the kids know that they weren’t in trouble.  Why he chose to handle the situation this way gives a few things to ponder on.  So many times the news is full of people committing crimes and doing things wrong.  That is what the nation is used to seeing.  The dash cam recording showed something quite the opposite.  Officer White could have easily come down on the kids, but instead chose to allow them to be kids.  He even played a bit with them in the street and promised them he would come back with reinforcements for a rematch.  Why did  he choose to handle the situation in this manner?

It is interesting to see the response that came from this experience.  Why would NBA star Shaquille O’Neal choose to visit this neighborhood?   Why would he take time to go and get involved?  In the video you can listen to him tell the kids that he grew up in a neighborhood just like theirs.  The kids had an experience they will never forget.  Not only being able to play ball with him, but listening to his advice and getting $100 for making a basket was really amazing for them!   The opportunity to attend an Orlando Magic game in person may have been the chance of a lifetime for some of these kids. 

The power of social media is evident, as this video went viral, it reached big names in the basketball world, who then chose to respond, making an even bigger story and events in the aftermath that have done a lot of good to benefit kids in Gainesville. 

For instance, the donation program that Officer White started has been helping many families and communities.  A new basketball court was built by a local Gainesville, Florida business in a neighborhood backyard of one of the kids that played in the street to help with neighborhood noise and to give the kids a place to play.  Harlem Globetrotter’s star Buckets Blake attended the opening of the new court and played ball with the kids.  His advice to everyone was to “pay it forward” and to “remember the little things in life no matter how successful you become”. 

Since this incident, a Basketball Cop Foundation has been created, which accepts donations to benefit local neighborhood kids and apartment complexes that can use new basketball equipment.  A family that lost everything to a fire on Christmas Eve received a portable basketball hoop and balls for their kids, who had to move to a new area and start over.  The mother of this family of 4 boys said that she hoped this would help her children make new friends as others would come to play with them.    A religious institution, Upper Room Ministries, is in need of a basketball court at their facility.  Officer White is asking for help to make this happen by appealing to the nation’s generosity.  A gofundme account has been set up at https://www.gofundme.com/basketballcop  Almost $6,000 has been raised of the $25,000 goal. 

As I have researched the hash tag, #hoopsnotcrime that was created, it shows just how much publicity has come from this story.  The community has rallied around the police department, and the kids are being invited to participate in many events.  They were invited to attend a University of Florida Gators basketball game, where they were brought out and recognized at center court. 

Think about the person that made the call to complain.  Think of what that call started.  Had the man not complained, maybe none of this would have happened.  I wonder how he feels now with all the publicity that has come from his one call.  His neighborhood got a lot noisier if anything.  Do you think he feels happy about it, or does he continue to grumble just like he may have done when he made the initial complaint call to the Gainesville Police Department?  

A Facebook post by Kim Groves read:  “These were my kids and their friends simply playing basketball at a friends house and a neighbor across the street had a problem with it.  I advised that neighbor I would rather them be playing basketball versus them being involved in a criminal activity and he begged to differ so he called the cops.”

This was a true “feel-good” story, and a nice change from all the negative coverage we routinely see on the news.  Social media was a big contributor to the success of Officer White’s campaign, and continues to be so as more stories emerge from Gainesville.  What might this lead to in other communities around the nation?  Hopefully, more good news! 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/humankind/2016/03/03/basketball-cop-known-kindness-just-upped-ante/81204216/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/humankind/2016/03/03/basketball-cop-known-kindness-just-upped-ante/81204216/?

csp=dailybriefing&AID=10709313&PID=4003003&SID=ilh7mz6suj012bmf00dth

https://www.facebook.com/BasketballCop/videos/195003957527649/

https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/hoopsnotcrime?source=feed_text&story_id=1681963925412654

http://www.news4jax.com/positively-jax/basetball-cop-surprises-kids-with-new-court

Class Cloud

The class cloud experience was exactly that for me; a definite “experience”.    Because this class is the first time I have tried Twitter, I am not well-versed in using it.  I learn by doing and using social media platforms, and this one is not one I have fallen in love with.   I know that it is very popular and used by many people, but I don’t have a need to share a lot of information to the public, and those I want to share with I can text without a character limit, and without having to come up with a hash tag or link to a blog post.   I started by creating my first twitter post asking a generic question about social media:  https://twitter.com/SherriDever/status/704525401125625856

I couldn’t decide who to send a second tweet to, and I wasn’t exactly sure the correct way to do it, but it ended up being pretty simple.  I chose to send a question to @mittromney but I never received any type of feedback.  https://twitter.com/SherriDever/status/704530054621990912

I’m not sure if I really expected a response from Mr. Romney, and quite honestly, I’m not even sure if that is his real twitter address.  Nonetheless, it gave me the experience of sending a message to someone.   About a week after I opened my Twitter account, I noticed that I had received a message from a friend of mine that I hadn’t talked to in a couple of years.  I felt bad, because I didn’t even realize that they had sent me a message, and also because I wasn’t really sure of how to use Twitter properly.  But through trial and error, I have been able to figure things out. 

I still don’t use Twitter, other than for class assignments, and when we all started tweeting Wednesday in the class cloud, I was extremely out of my element.  Everyone around me was tweeting like crazy, laughing and having fun with it.  I sat there for a minute not even sure where to start.  I was reading the tweets that were posting, and trying to come up with something to say or someone to respond to.  I did manage to send a few tweets out, and respond to some as well as shown in the following links: 

https://twitter.com/SherriDever/status/705200802952933376

https://twitter.com/SherriDever/status/705209789110833152

Twitter, it seems to me, is a way to spout out what is on your mind or currently going on.  Most tweets I read are just short opinions or funny quips.  It doesn’t seem like much useful information is shared, although my exposure to it has been very limited.  I would imagine if I paid more attention to news media or sports tweets I would be much more informed rather than entertained or appalled.  I know that I could actually use Twitter to report scores and information to the club I work for concerning my team’s performance in games and in tournaments.  Reflecting back to the class cloud experience, I didn’t really enjoy it, but thought it was interesting when other organizations or people jumped in and started to respond from outside the class.  I still don’t think I will ever be a big Twitter user unless I find a need for it, other than class.  I’m from an older generation—an old dog trying to learn new tricks and apps.  

Online Reputation: Jesse Wilson

A song by Slim Shady has been playing in my mind as I have been writing this:  "Will the real Jesse Wilson please stand up—please stand up—please stand up?"  Wait, which Jesse Wilson?  The pastor, the actor, the singer, the football player, the highly ranked service man, the junior hockey super sports nominee, the python collector, the body-building pro, the famous sand-boarding star, or the student majoring in Communication Studies at USU?   My online reputation search for Jesse Wilson showed at least 82 on public records websites.  18 of those were in the state of Utah.  The Jesse Wilson I searched for is in his twenties.  That narrowed things down quite a bit, but still wasn’t specific enough information.   I tried associating him with Utah State University, and there I found success with his account on Facebook.  https://www.facebook.com/jesserosswilson?fref=ts

Let me share some things I learned about Jesse Wilson:   He is from St. George, Utah.  His birthday is April 12 and he has one sister, Brooke Wilson.    He completed an associate’s degree from Dixie State University in Business Administration and now at USU, he is earning his bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies.   He served an LDS mission to Germany, which means he not only speaks English, but he speaks German too! 

From many pictures on Facebook, I observed that Jesse has a pattern of being an avid outdoors enthusiast, enjoying the beautiful mountains of southern Utah.  He is not afraid of heights and enjoys hiking, camping and being in nature.  He also participates in snow sports and snowmobiles during the winter months.  

Jesse has a strong attachment to skateboards, (and if you haven’t noticed, one accompanies him to class each day.) 

Another pattern or trend I found was that Jesse is very social.  He likes to be around friends, and seems to have MANY in different places around the world, including different parts of Utah, Chicago and Germany..........

I discovered information on Jesse’s LinkedIn account as well.  He seems to have a third trend or pattern in his occupation, as he is experienced in “Sales”. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-wilson-8a6025b7

He has been a sales associate at Fisher Home Furnishings, a salesman of pest prevention and control services, and is currently a sales rep for Fox Pest Control.   During this search, I found that I know a couple of people that work at the same pest control company that Jesse does.   Kory Crompton and Zach Hendrickson are two young men I used to coach in high school and club soccer.  The other young man is Sam Rolfe, who was a student worker in my department at USU.  So, we may actually know some of the same people?

Jesse was hard to find information on outside of these two accounts.  He keeps a fairly low profile and stays out of trouble with the law and the courts system.  He doesn’t have anyone searching for him or a bounty on his head that I could find.  By accessing his twitter account, I noticed that he doesn’t use it much, as he started it in 2012 with a tweet that reads, “I’m not so sure how I feel about twitter yet….Day one”.   There were a total of 4 more tweets after that over the span of 16 months, ending in Dec. 2013.  https://twitter.com/search?q=jesseblend&src=typd   The most recent tweets have started in January of this year, 2016, and they pertain to this class.  I’m guessing I can tell how Jesse feels about Twitter…….

This was a fun and interesting assignment.   Although I wished I could have learned even more about the Jesse Wilson I searched for from class, I found there are many other Jesse Wilsons out there I could cyber stalk as well if I need something to occupy my time.